Panama with the 'Sistas'

Chris & Jeannie, old friends are the best friends

Having left the girls at the airport in Liberia, we headed down to Jeannie's place near Puntarenas in the small town of Costa de Pajaros.  The plan was to pick up Leona's sister, Chris. She planned to spend a few weeks with us in Panama.

Its a rather remote  part of Costa Rica that is authentic to Central America's roots, agriculture and the sea.

Sunset at Costa de Pajaros

We mapped out a plan to go to the coastal south of Costa Rica and slide into the north of Panama.  There were several options in the border area of Panama: the Caribbean coast at Bocas del Toro; the high country of Boquette; the country's agreeable 2nd city of David; and the appealing Pacific coast of parks, beaches, and fishing at Boca Chica.

Palm nut plantations like the huge ones in Malaysia

We decided to stop first in David and get our bearings.  It's not wise to attempt to go too far after a border crossing lest it should take much longer than anticipated and you find yourself travelling to a destination after dark on unfamiliar roads.

David was only a half an hour from the border and offered many fine accommodations to choose from.


Chris proved to be a great travelling companion and found the long hours in the back seat to be a very effective way to cut down on her smoking.  After her and Jeannie had binged for a week on Canadian cigarettes it was a much needed break anyway.

Our last stop in Costa Rica was the fishing port of Golfito on the Golfo de Dulce, near the Panama border on the Pacific coast.

The Fish Hook Marina & Lodge

We had booked a room in a hotel and marina that was known as a reliable layover on land for cruisers and charter yachts. It was funky looking from the road but once inside there was a vast inner courtyard with restaurant, bar, pool tables, and nautical paraphernalia galore.

Despite the unappealing name, we had a great meal and stop over at the Fish Hook as we prepared to cross the Panamanian border in the morning.

We crossed into Panama at Paso Canoas, which I assume to be Spanish for Place of Chaos.  'Shit show' doesn't begin to cover this one: zero signage, zero uniforms, zero English spoken, and zero urgency,.... zero.  We couldn't do anything without the assistance of a border guide.  Though his service was paid only through a voluntary tip, every step of the process needed to be expedited through a bribe to an immigration official or a customs official

There was no way of knowing how much, if anything, went to a bribe or just to the guide's pocket.  All we knew was it was the most expensive crossing to date and that -as promised- no one inspected or even seemed to notice the vehicle.  My $80 in bribes could easily have imported a half a ton of coke... and a thermonuclear weapon in the rooftop luggage carrier.  I had to think "do I even want to be in a country that protects its borders this way?"

C'est las vie.  Too late to turn back now and I can't afford to go through the process again.  Off we went to David to see what pleasures it offered.

Once inside the country seemed a perfect joy.  Good roads and pleasant, even friendly people.  We  had paid a little extra for reliable accommodations on our first night and were not disappointed.  The Hotel Aranjuez was sparkling and modern.

Having done our banking in David we opted for the high altitude and cooler climate of Boquete.  We had heard much about this place in the press that promotes retirement havens in Central America.  If you are used to cooler climate, as most Canadians are, Boquete is said to have a perfect climate.



The road from David is a half hour of gentle uphill grade so when we got out of the car it is a  a bit of a shock to feel cool and fresh.

Grounds of El Machico Guest House near Boqeute

The town sits in a volcanic bowl that protects it from the high altitude winds so when we found our hotel, which was out of town and near the lip of the very subtle crater, we found it downright cold and windy.

Kitchen at El Machito

That said it was absolutely beautiful with tall pines and a riot of flowering plants,  We stayed at a place that was part hotel and part hostel in that there was a large outdoor living area and communal kitchen,  Very comfortable but not our thing.  Tried it, next.

Exploring around Boquete was great fun though,  The area is covered in trails, some loops and some old paths used now for trekking up the local volcano.  Several overnight trips were popular where trekkers, staying in the homes of villagers where cars cannot reach.  Did it in Thailand in our 30s so the novelty factor was sated for us.

The Boquete region was quite pretty though so we have added a few more photos below.

Trailheads started pretty

Leona & Chris at waterfall in
the hills near Boquete

A natural rock climbing wall on the outskirts of town

Tropical streams tumble down the volcano near Boquete

The town was charming and the region vibrant.  In the afternoons we snacked on the main street in Boquete and watched fishermen, who had driven their morning catch up from the coast, fillet and sell Mahi Mahi in the back of a half ton.  In the evenings we had a choice of excellent local fare or international meals prepared exactingly by world class chefs.  One memorable night featured dinner in a restaurant owned and operated by a 5-star Italian chef.

Tiring of the chill (no, really....) before we did of the town, we elected on a quicker exit than planned and set our sights on Pedasi, a popular Pacific beach town further down the coast.  We had a reason to hurry a bit as Brad's brother Jeff was going to be in Panama City in a few weeks and we wanted to find a place nearer the City where he could visit.  A short stop in Pedasi would be interesting and answer some of our questions about that upcoming destination, said to be the best beach in Panama. 

Next, Tropical Panama

Costa Rica with the Chicas

We picked up the girls at 7 in the morning at the Liberia airport.  Neither slept well on the red eye so they were asleep almost as soon as we hit the road to Arenal! No matter, it was so awesome to see them and be able to hug them. 

Sleeping beauties!

The weather was cool for Costa Rica, even in the higher elevations, and we had heard forecast that did not sound good.  Even our poor Spanish could get the gist of 'tormenta tropicale'.   It turned out the we would see a tropical storm from the Carribean come over the isthmus right over Lake Arenal.

The road towards Lake Arenal.

After their nap we stopped at Bagaces, a small town on our way, and had a typical Costa Rican, or Tico, breakfast. Steph really liked the gallo pinto, a rice and bean combo commonly served with any meal but particularly delicious in a Tico breakfast. Nicole was even able to keep her breakfast gluten free so everyone was set for the day.

True to the forecast for Lake Arenal, as we got closer to the lake it was obvious those dark clouds did not bode well.  In the end we endured five days of driving rain and howling winds. We heard that the coastal regions were getting a lot of wind but no rain. Only a few hours away but such a different climate!

Our place at Lake Arenal. Nice when it wasn't pouring!

The house we rented was in a small residential development overlooking Lake Arenal.  It had a small central pool and sun lounging area and the most unique marina, ever! 

The house itself was beautiful, surrounded by windows it had four bedrooms and two full bathrooms. It had an open design overlooking the lake view with a large gourmet kitchen (the owner was a chef from Miami), a spacious living room, three bedrooms upstairs, and a full bedroom downstairs.

It would have been an amazing place under normal circumstances but with the storm raging it was being sorely tested.  We strolled around the housing complex on several morning and occasionally got caught in a downpour.  We never made use of the pool so most of our time was spent at the house was visiting, cooking together, and playing cards in the evenings. 



We did however make several outings that could not be ruined by poor weather.  Our first trip out of the house was to the Baldi Hot Springs. What a great way to keep warm in the rain! 

The Baldi Hot Springs are one of many such facilities at the foot of the Arenal Volcano.  They range from opulent to public access pools in the river.  Baldi is an upper midrange resort that is perfect for day visits.  It is large by comparison with about 30 pools of varying temperatures, most with swim-up bars.We spent most of the day and had a great time.

Unfortunately we have no pictures of Baldi as no one wanted to risk damaging or losing their phones or cameras in the pools. We opened a tab at the reception and set off on a hot tub pub crawl in bathing suits.  Best day of Brad's life. 

Checking out the scenery!

The next outing had been planned for earlier.  On the way to Arenal from the airport we had mapped out a little known jungle waterfall as a possible stop if everyone was up to it. Poor weather and the girl's need for a nap had made us put it back in the calendar for when the weather improved. With the house taking a beating we hoped that lower lands might be warmer, maybe not even raining.

We decided to give the waterfall at Llanos del Cortes a shot.  It wasn't far from the house, just  just off the main highway to Liberia. Even with the prospect of rain we geared up and ventured off, found the turnoff, paid a small fee to local caretakers and wandered down a well marked jungle trail.

The waterfall was spectacular and would have been more so without the persistent drizzle.  It was cool so we did not go swimming, but many brave souls not only went swimming but also ventured behind the 'curtain' of the falls.  It would have been a treat on a hot day but on this occasion we took a pass.

The girls dressed for the wet weather.

Our next outing, we drove about an hour to the Butterfly Conservatory near the Arenal Volcano. A very informative and beautiful place with guides included in the entrance price. There was a small hike along the river and areas dedicated to butterflies, one for reptiles, and one for rain-forest regeneration as well.

They were everywhere, so cool!

A morpho butterfly took a shine to Brad

Heading on our hike along the river

The intrepid hikers

Along the paths were planted many varieties of Heliconias. Leona has bundled a ton of crap about butterflies and flowers and stuff so I've put it all at the back of this blog in case you like that kind of stuff,  If so, fill your boots.

The Morpho is the national butterfly of Costa Rica

A Mom and daughter selfie

After five days of rain and wind, we gladly drove away from Lake Arenal without ever having seen the Arenal volcano because of the low cloud cover surrounding it. We were looking forward to seeing the sun! We were heading to Quepos near Manuel Antonio Park, about a four hour drive.

Croc watch at Rio Tarcoles

Enroute to Quepos, past Jaco, a well known beach town, we drove across Crocodile bridge as it's affectionately called by the locals. The bridge spans the Rio Tarcoles where many American crocodiles have found a home and unlimited food, courtesy of the locals who have found them to be better tourist attractions than dinner fare. There is an urban story about a man being killed there after having fallen (or jumped) off the bridge and was eaten by these same crocodiles. I don't think our girls were all that impressed!

There be monsters!

                                                                                                                                         

Who's that bathing beauty?

We had booked an eco-condo at Manuel Antonio Estates for the four of us and found the condo small but functional. It seems that 'eco' is Spanish for over-priced.  It was a definite change from the big rambling house we had just left.

Niki and Steph enjoying the pool

The most difficult adjustment was to no air-conditioning in the main living area and the heat and humidity were much higher here than at Lake Arenal.



Brad and I were acclimated to this but not the girls. This took a day or two of adjustment and the pool at the complex definitely helped!  Pool time was always a treat with all of the critters that came to play. Iguanas, monkeys, and all manner of birds were constant visitors.
   

Lounging by the pool

Big male iguanas run the show.

The many wives spend their day sunning.

Whitefaced monkey taking a dip in the pool.

The troupe came to eat around the pool.

Eating forming bananas, not the ripe.

My sister Chris and Jeannie joined us for a few days in the condo below us and brought some beautiful shrimp, fresh caught in the Bay of Nicoya near Jeannie's home in Puntarenas. Amazing!

Chris and I cleaning shrimp.

Chris and Jeannie lounging on the beach.

The next day, we took a trip to the Manuel Antonio beach and park area where everybody got some much needed Vitamin D!  What a fantastic beach.

Niki getting a little sun.

"For those wanting an even further off-the-beaten-path activity, there’s Los Campesinos, a little known rural tourism organization deep in the mountains north of Quepos. It takes about an hour from Manuel Antonio to get there. Along the way, you’ll pass through charming Tico villages in the heart of the countryside. The drive is a bit of an adventure, along bumpy and sometimes steep dirt roads, but entirely worth the effort. Once you arrive, you’ll be greeted by a friendly local at the small ticket booth/store where you can buy your tickets for exploring this wonderful nature reserve."

Los Campesinos

This was the blurb on Google that we thought sounded like a fun place to take the girls to that didn't involve anything too adventuresome like night hikes or hang gliding! Boy, was I wrong! Turning off the main road it became a harrowing drive along a narrow, dirt, jungle track with steep curves cut along cliff faces. Much of it had been recently rebuild (the backhoes still working on sections) and it took us well over an hour!

Brad was cursing as it started to rain and held back his visions of us slipping off the track and careening into the jungle below. Luckily, it only rained for about 10 minutes and none of the above happened but we were very glad to have four wheel drive!

The waterfalls

The intrepid hiker

The place itself was actually well set up and the hike to the waterfalls was only about a half a mile down a well established path. 

Steph on the way to the bridge

Brad and Steph 

We could also reach the waterfalls by crossing on a hanging bridge.  Steph surprised us all by going partway across as she has a fear of heights. The waterfall area was very beautiful and we enjoyed our visit.

The second set of falls with a ladder to climb for the more adventuresome

Leona and Steph

Too soon they were bound for home

Our week at Quepos went quickly and this brought our two weeks with the girls to a close.














Spending this time with the kids really helped me to be able to continue on our journey. Not being with them for the first time at Christmas had been very difficult. We spent one more night in Liberia and sent them on their way home to Canada.

For us the adventure continues and we prepared to take on a passenger and head for Panama.  Hasta proxima,  B&L

PS:

Heliconias are some of the most attractive and interesting plants in the tropics. They are easy to grow and their flowers last for a long time, therefore you find them everywhere from deep in the rain forest to peoples porches and gardens.

Heliconia flower

Heliconias are related to gingers, bananas and birds of paradise, they are herbs and easily propagate by rhizomes, which is a little piece of the root.
There are about 200 species mostly in the American tropics, with just a few in south-east Asia. In Costa Rica 39 species are native, but you find hundreds of exotic hybrids in plantations and gardens.

More Heliconia

These butterfly have a fake "eye"
on their tail area to confuse predators

And even more...

Two different types of butterflies in the reserve.

These butterflies land upside down to confuse predators as well

Loved this one!

The entrance to the amphibian area

These are pictures of 3 different frog species, the red-eyed tree frog was pretty cool, usually all of these frogs are nocturnal but the tree frog was awake so we could see his eyes.

The poison dart frog-2 together

Red eyed Tree frog

Brad begs to go back to the car

The scenery was outstanding